Wood-bending device.



s. E. WALKE. WOOD BENDING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 7 1910.

1,016,721. Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

2 SKEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. n; c.

S. E. WALKE.

WOOD BENDING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1910.

1,016,721. Pafunted Feb. 6, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPM c uWAsHINom D. C.

SANFORD n. WALKE, or AMESBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

WOOD-BENDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 7, 1910.

I Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

Serial No. 560,014.

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SANFORD E. VVALKE,

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Amesbury, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vood-BendingDevices; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wood bendingdevices.

The object of this invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich is particularly adapted for forming arm rails for automobilebodies.

My invention, therefore, consists in the features of construction andcombination of parts described in the specification, pointed out in theclaims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In constructing automobile bodies, it is customary to fasten a moldingaround the top edge thereof which is known as the arm rail. This moldingextends along the top edge of the back of the body and is then curvedaround the sides and extends along the top edges of the sides of thebody. Therefore in order to make the molding conform to the curvature ofthe automobile body it has been customary to form the m0lding in atleast three sections; one section ex tending along the top edge of theback of the body and one section extending down along each side. Thereare, therefore, two joints in the arm rail and these joints are in avery prominent position.

By the use of my invention it is possible to form the entire rail in twosections, each section being arranged to extend along one side and halfof the back so that the joint of the arm rail comes at the center of theback in a very inconspicuous position.

In general my device consists of a flexible plate having secured theretoa series of retaining devices. These devices are spaced and arranged onthe plate so as to conform to the curvature of the rail after it hasreceived its initial curvature which adapts it to conform to thecurvature of the top edge of one side of the body portion. This initialcurvature is given to the rail by a bending device of the usualconstruction and forms no part of my invention. After the rail has beensecured on the flexible plate the plate and rail together are bent overand around a form which has the same shape and curvature as the body ofthe automobile where the back and sides merge together. Screws or thelike are then passed through the form and into the rail so as to securethe rail to the form after which the flexible plate is removed and therail is left on the form to dry.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 shows the rail in the bending devicewhich gives it its initial bend. Fig. 2 is a top plan of the flexibleplate. Fig. 3 shows the initial bending device superimposed on theflexible plate in order to transfer the rail to the plate. Fig. 4 is atop plan of the plate with the rail thereon. Fig. 5 is a side elevationof the form with the flexible plate and rail arranged thereon. Fig. 6 isa section on line 66, Fig. 5.

Again referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4E,10 represents a flexible sheet or plate, preferably of metal. On theface of the plate 10 are arranged a series of retaining devices 11 whichare preferably angle-shaped and are secured to the plate by rivets 12.These retaining devices are arranged in pairs, the devices forming thepairs being spaced apart the thickness or width of the rail and thepairs of devices are disposed on the plate so as to conform to the curvewhich the rail must have in order to fit the top edge of a side of thebody of the automobile. An abutment or stop 14 is arranged close to thelast pair of the said retaining devices at one end of the plate and asimilar abutment or stop 15 is arranged at the opposite end of the platebut spaced a slight distance from the last pair of retaining devices,the object of which will appear later,

In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown the form for giving to the rail the curvaturewhich corresponds to the curvature of the automobile body where the backand sides merge together. This form comprises side members 18 which havethe same curvature as the curvature which is to be imparted to the rail.These side members are spaced apart any suitable distance depending onthe number of rails which the form is to hold at any one time, and tothe said side members are secured cross slats 19, a greater or lessdistance being left between the slats according to their position on theform. The form is suitably reinforced by braces 20.

In using my device the procedure is as follows,The strip of wood whichis to form the arm rail is steamed or otherwise treated to give it therequired pliability after which it is placed in the initial bendingdevice. This device is of the usual construction and consists of twomembers 20 and 21 which are rigidly secured together by a binding strip22 and the adjacent ends of the said members are spaced apart the widthof the'rail and the said ends are curved corresponding to the initialcurve which is to be given to the rail. A flexible strip 23 is securedto the member 20 and is then carried along the side of the member 21.This flexible strip 23 is provided at its free end with a handle 24which carries a latch 25 adapted to engage a projection 26 on the member21, and likewise a flexible strip 27 is secured to the member 21 and isthen carried along the side of the member 20. This flexible strip 27 isprovided at its free end with a handle 28 which carries a latch 29adapted to engage a projection 30 on the member 20. The strip which isto receive its initial cunve is inserted between the adjacent ends ofthe members 20 and 21 and the flexible strips 23 and 27 are then lockedto the members 20 and 21 respectively so that the said strip is securelybound along the sides of said members 20 and 21. After the strip hasbeen fastened in place in the initial bending device the device isturned over on top of the flexible plate 10 and the strip is forced outof the initial bending device and down between the retaining devices 11after which the initial bending device is removed. A wedge 15 is theninserted between the abutment or stop 15 and the end of the strip. Thiswedge looks the strip to the plate and also pro-. duces the necessaryend pressure for causing the wood to upset duringthe bending operation.The plate 10 is then bent over and around the form with the strip nextto the form and small screws 31 are passed up between the slats of theform and into the strip so as to secure the strip to the form afterwhich the plate 10 is removed and the strip is left on the form to dry.

WVhat I claim is, i

1. In a device of the character described, a plate rigid in its ownplane and flexible transverselythereto having a series of retainingdevices arranged thereon in a lineof distortion lying in a planeparallel to that of said plate and adapted to receive a strip of woodhaving a predetermined curvature corresponding to the line of distortionformed by said retaining devices, a stop arranged on said plate at eachend of said series, a wedge adapted to be inserted between the end ofthe strip held by said retaining devices and one of said stops and aform having a predetermined curved surface adapted to receivesaid'pla-te and means for securing the strip of wood carried by saidplate to said form.

2. In a device of the character described, a plate rigid in its ownplane and flexible transversely thereto having a series of retainingdevices arranged thereon in a line of distortion lying in a planeparallel to that of said plate and adapted to receive a strip of woodhaving a predetermined curvature corresponding to the line of distortionformed by said retaining devices, and a form having a predeterminedcurved surface adapted to receive said plate and means for securing thestrip of wood carried by said plate to said form.

3. In a device of the character described, a plate rigid in its ownplane and flexible transversely thereto having a series of retainingdevices arranged thereon in a line of distortion lying in a planeparallel to that of said plate and adapted to receive a strip of woodhaving a predetermined curvature corresponding to the line of distortionformed by said retaining devices, a stop arranged on said plate at eachend of said series of retaining devices, a wedge adapted to be insertedbetween the end of the strip held by said retaining devices and one ofsaid stops, a form having a predetermined curved surface formed by aseries of spaced bars, said surface being adapted to receive saidflexible plate and means extending up between said bars and adapted toengage the strip of wood carried by said plate.

In testimony whereof, I sign the foregoing specification, in thepresence of two witnesses.

SANFORD E. WALKE. \Vitnesses:

J. C. MANSFIELD, VICTOR C. LYNCH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. G.

